Artist Transforms Single Sheets of Paper Into Intricately Cut Designs

Delicate and exceptionally elaborate, Pippa Dyrlaga’s exquisite paper art is a cut above the rest.

The Yorkshire-based artist transforms simple sheets of plain paper into extraordinarily complex works of art using nothing but a pencil and a scalpel. Dyrlaga fell in love with the craft as an art student in 2010, after dabbling in the art of silhouette-making. Eventually, however, she turned her attention toward more intricate and complicated projects. Her astounding attention to detail (and undeniable patience) is apparent in each creation; from birds with wings as light as lace to fragile hand-lettering, her chosen subject matter showcases her skillful and steady hand.

To create each splendid piece, Dyrlaga first sketches a mirror-image of her desired design on a sheet of paper, paying particular attention to where she’ll strategically make each incision. She then uses an X-Acto knife to carefully cut along the contours of the drawing, and the finished work is eventually flipped over to reveal a clean and crisp cutout.

Dyrlaga certainly has her work cut out for her: depending on the level of detail and preemptive research involved, a work of art can take anywhere from four to 100 hours to complete. For the dedicated artist, however, “the process is just as important as the finished product”—proving that great art is truly a labor of love!

To see more of Dyrlaga’s whimsical work, be sure to check out her website and her Etsy shop. She also creates greeting cards and other stationary, available on Bear Follows Cat.